Improvement in cotton- baie tie



@uiten .taten 'stmt @fitta JSHUA L. j PHILLIPS, OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MISSSSPPI. Letters .Patent Nm i3,0'34 dated January 7,;1858.,

@In Signal nicht trilt tln'st'rtttrs ntent mit mittag tritt nt tige smut.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: y

Be it know-n that AI, JOSHA L. PHLL'TPS, of the county of Washington, and State of Mississippi, have invented a certain new, useful, and improved 'Device'for Fastening the'Endsof Wire Rope together, when the same is used for banding cotton or'othe'r bales; and I do -iiereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference'being had' to lthe annexed drawings, making a part of'this specification, in which- Y Figure 1 is a Vperspective view of my device as'when fastening the ends of a band of wire rope together,

Figure 2 a plan or top view, I

Figure 3 a side view, and

Figure 4a bottom view of the deviceas when not'in us,'-'or when detached from a band.

Before proceeding to describe my invention, or to indicate the` mode of its operation, it is necessary, to a full comprehension 'of its merits, to refer to the well-'known fact that, as to nearly every existing intermediate contiivancefor fastening the e'nds' of' wire rope or'wire bands together, the important objection lies that it is impossible with them, to take up the slack fof the band in the first place, and, in the `second p1ace,'to take the band oit the bale Without cutting the saine. The rst-nanied objection results in the evil consequence of a very considerable expansion ofthe bale after itis withdrawn' from the*compressing-machine, if not'toan irregular` or unequal expansion as to diferent'parts of the bale, and a complete `distortion of its form. The second objection to which I have referred, as .tojexistin'g devices, to wit, that it ,is necessary to cut the bands in order to break up the bale, is even more important than the ir'shibecause the bands are so shortened bycutting that they cannot again be used, and of course are permanently lost.'

My device is not amenable to either ofthe objections to'whichI have adverted. It takes up all the slack of the band, and, notwithstanding that the fastening which it establishes', is entirely rm4 and secure so long asit is proper -te maintain it, when the bale iis-to' be brokenup, a very slight manipulation is sutiicient to disconnect the device from the hand, without the slightest injury to either.V

But my invention will beobetter and more quickly understood by reference tothe drawings, upon which A marks the central portion, body,or barof the Idevice,"fror11 which, at both ends, but on opposite sides, .project the two wings B B', which are so formed as to be provided, at' their points a a, with grooves to receive the wire, as shown at fig. 1after the slack has been taken up, in the manner hereafter' shownor described. The bar A has a longitudinal .opening or aperture snliiciently large fto allow of the introduction of both ends of the band,

'that being necessaryto establish the fastening, and the easy movement ofthe same backwards or forwards. In

order to prevent thelweaken'ing ofthe central vbar A in,v making the' opening through it, and at the/same time to provide points vof support for the wire rope, first during the process of taking up ,the slack, and afterwards, when the strain which is due to the expansive force of the cotton withinthe bale comes fully upon the band, the said bar A is made considerably thicker than the'wngs BAB, as is clearly shown at g. 3, where the upper and lower projections, consequent upon suoli isuperior or greaterjhickness, are respectively marked e and c", Upon the outer or upper side-'ofthe central bar A', two hoies,'d d', arcimade for the reception of an instrument, especially constructed forthejpurpose, that is necessary, in the operation of turning the device, to take upthe slack and secure the fastening. This instrument-may Aconsist of? a-bar of iron, -in which two-pins are inserted,

I at such distance apart as that they will enterv the holes d d', and of sulicient length, say from ten to fifteen inches, as to give considerable leverage power. The holes Z el! may extend entirely through the central bar A, as shown at iigs. 2 and 4, orthey may penetrate-very nearly, nithoutvquite going through, as seen at dg. 1.

I In the actual practice or useiot` my invention, the opcrationvis as follows, 'to wit: The wire rope is made to encircle the bale, and both ends of it are passed through the opening in bar A from opposite sides, so that the ends will point in different directions. The operator then draws the band as tight as his strength will allow et', and wraps the ends in reverse convolutions around the portion of the bar A that projects belowthe plane of the wings B B. The instrument to which I have referred is now applied, and with it the device is turned, until thc points of the wings da are brought under the band, when the saine will at once enter the grooves therein. On withdrawing the instrument, the device will instantly assume the position that is seen at iig. 1,

Nor after the bale has been released from pressure will that position be changed, no matter what may be the degree of tension that is put upon the band. The -slipping of the. bands into the grooves fixes the fastening securely, for the 4previous partial revolution of tho device will have taken up all the slack of the band, and developed a sufficient strain upon it eeetually to prevent its slipping out of the grooves. l

It Will'be observed that no acute angle or llexure of the band is necessary or possible in fastening its ends together with my device, and lthat hence, in addition to the other advantages of which I have made mention, the full normal strength of the band remains unimpaLired.

My device may be made of 'cast or malleable iron, and at as little costA as any other of the same weight. It is, moreover, of easy application to practice, almere inspection of it being sufficient to indicate the manner in which it is to be used. After the bale has reached its destination, and is to be broken up, all that is necessary is to force the handout of the grooves at the ends of the wings-B' B', when the tension upon the former will of itself instantly eifect a disconnection, Without damage to the band or the device.

Having thus described my invention, and its mode of operation, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y I The device herein described, consisting of the central bar A, when provided with the `wings B B', in which, at the points a a,are grooves to receive the band, a. longitudinal opening for the ends of the band, and holes d d', asand for the purpose herein set forth. l

' Y JOSHUA L( PHILTJPS.

Witnesses: y

S. O. Frsnnn, H.N. JENKINS. 

